Creating a Payment Plan

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Description

This quick guide outlines how to add, edit, and cancel a payment plan attached to an invoice. This quick guide also includes the steps required to send a payment plan for signature and how to activate a payment plan without a signature.

Note 

Curve Pay and/or Global Payments must be integrated with Curve Hero before a payment plan can be created. For more information, refer to the following quick guides:

• Setting Up Curve Pay in Curve Hero


• Configuring Global Payments in Curve Hero (US)

Contents 

The following topics are covered in this quick guide: 

• Section 1 - Opening an Invoice in the Billing Module


• Section 2 - Adding a Payment Plan to an Invoice


• Section 3 - Activating a Payment Plan That Was Signed via a Printed Payment Plan


• Section 4 - Sending an Email to the RP Requesting a Signature for a Payment Plan


• Section 5 - Understanding How the RP Signs a Payment Plan Request Received via Email


• Section 6 - Using Curve Go to Sign a Payment Plan


• Section 7 - Editing a Payment Plan


• Section 8 - Pushing a Payment When a Payment Error Occurs


• Section 9 - Pausing an Activated Payment Plan


• Section 10 - Resuming a Paused Payment Plan


• Section 11 - Canceling an Activated Payment Plan


• Section 12 - Viewing the History of a Payment Plan


• Section 13 - Reviewing the Activity of a Payment Plan in the Correspondence Module

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Steps

Section 1 - Opening an Invoice in the Billing Module 
 

1. In the Sidekick, locate the patient.


2. Within the Sidekick, click Billing.



3. In the Billing module, locate the invoice, then click the invoice header row to view the invoice details.

Section 2 - Adding a Payment Plan to an Invoice 
 

Note: Prior to adding the payment plan, ensure that the clinic the invoice was created at is the same as the logged in clinic. A payment plan cannot be added to an invoice unless the clinic the invoice was issued at matches the logged in clinic.

1. To begin the process of adding a payment plan to an invoice, perform one of the following actions:

Option 1

1. Right-click the invoice header row.




2. In the drop-down list, click Add Payment Plan.





Option 2

1. In the applicable invoice header row, click the More Options menu.




2. In the drop-down list, click Add Payment Plan.




2. The Add Payment Plan section will display the payment plan settings, payment details, and also includes a summary.

Note: The information displayed in the Summary table will update in real-time if any information in the Payment Plan Settings and/or Payment Details subsection(s) are revised.




3. The starting balance is the amount the patient owes.

Note: The starting balance does not include the payment plan fee and/or interest charge.




4. If an initial payment is required, enter the initial payment amount in the Initial Payment field.

Note: The initial payment is due when the payment plan is activated.




5. The number of payments or payment amount must be entered. Additional information about each of these options follows the below screenshot.



Option A - Updating the Number of Payments

1. In the Number of payments field, enter the amount of payments the patient will be required to pay in order to clear their outstanding balance.

Note: The maximum number of payments that can be entered is 1,000.




2. The Payment amount field will automatically update to indicate the payment amount the patient is required to pay per payment cycle. The payment amount is calculated as follows:

Number of Payments = (Starting Balance - Initial Payment + Interest and/or Fee) ÷ Number of Payments




Option B - Updating the Payment Amount

1. In the Payment amount field, enter the payment amount the patient will be required to pay per payment cycle in order to clear their outstanding balance.

Note: The payment amount cannot exceed the outstanding balance.




2. The Number of payments field will automatically update to indicate the number of payments the patient is required to pay to clear the outstanding balance. The number of payments is calculated as follows:

Number of Payments = (Starting Balance - Initial Payment + Interest and/or Fee) ÷ Payment Amount

Note: If required, the number of payments will be rounded to the nearest whole number. When this occurs, the patient's final payment will automatically be calculated as the exact amount remaining on their outstanding balance. In the example included in this section, the patient's outstanding balance is $1,560.00 and the entered payment amount is $100. The number of payments is calculated as 15.6, but will be rounded up to the nearest whole number, and therefore display as 16. To ensure that the patient is not charged more than their initial outstanding balance, the patient's final payment will be calculated as the initial outstanding amount (i.e., $1,560.00) minus the payment amount per billing cycle multiplied by the number of payments previously made (i.e., $100 x 15). Therefore, the final payment withdrawal amount will be $60.00 (i.e., $1,560.00 - [$100 x 15]).




6. To select the payment frequency option, click the Frequency drop-down menu.



7. In the Frequency drop-down list, select a payment frequency option.



8. The date the payment plan will begin must be entered in the Start Date field. The date can either be entered manually or by clicking the calendar icon and selecting a date from the calendar drop-down.



9. The estimated end date for the payment plan will automatically display in the Estimated End Date field.



10. The Payment Details section will display the responsible party (RP).

Note: The RP is selected in the Profile module. For instructions regarding how to update the RP, refer to the quick guide, Understanding the Responsible Party.



11. The payment card that will be used to withdraw the payments can either be added or selected from a list of existing cards. Further information about each of these options is included below.



Option A - Entering a New Payment Card

1. Click the Add new card button.



2. In the Add a new card dialog box, the drop-down menu will display the existing Curve Pay/Global Payments device(s). If there are no existing devices, the drop-down menu will, by default, contain the phrase, Add Card Information Online.

Note: If a Curve Pay/Global Payments device has been previously added to a clinic, it will display in the drop-down menu (this only applies to users in the US). To use the device to enter the patient's card information, select the device, click the Confirm button, then swipe the patient's card on the Curve Pay/Global Payments device. Proceed to step 12 below to continue.



3. Click the Confirm button to continue.



4. In the Online Card Validation dialog box, enter the card details.



5. Click the Submit button to continue.



6. The Online Card Validation dialog box will display and will automatically close when the card processing completes.



7. The Card Validation Successful dialog box will display after the card processes successfully. Click the Close button to close the dialog box.




Option B - Selecting an Existing Payment Card

1. If a payment card was previously added to the patient's account, it will display in the Card on file drop-down menu. If the correct card is displayed, continue to step 12 below. If another card is to be selected, click the Card on file drop-down menu, then in the drop-down list, click the applicable payment card.

Note: All existing payment card information is securely stored using Curve Pay/Global Payments' dual token system. As the card information is not stored in Curve Hero, the information is obtained by Curve Hero using a stored patient reference.



12. After the correct payment card has been selected or added, the details of the payment plan can be reviewed.




13. After the details of the payment plan have been reviewed, click the Save button.



14. The Payment Plan Ready for Signature dialog box will open and includes two options to obtain the patient's signature: an email containing a link for electronic signature can be sent to the patient and/or the payment plan can be printed and signed by the patient in-office. Select the applicable option(s) by clicking one or both of the checkbox(es).



15. Click the Save button.



16. If the option to email a link to the patient was selected, proceed to step 17 below. If the option to to print the payment plan was selected, a new browser tab will open and will display a copy of the payment plan. The payment plan can now be printed and signed by the patient.




17. After the Save button is clicked in the Payment Plan Ready for Signature dialog box, the payment plan will be saved to the invoice and the Billing module will display. The invoice row will now contain the payment plan Draft button. As the payment plan is in the draft status, it must be activated. The sections that follow outline how to activate the payment plan.

Section 3 - Activating a Payment Plan That Was Signed via a Printed Payment Plan 
 

1. After a payment plan has been added in the Billing module, it can be printed. This is a useful option when the RP requests to sign the payment plan in-office. To begin this process, in the Billing module, within the applicable invoice header row, click the More Options menu.




2. In the drop-down list, click Manage Payment Plan.




3. In the Edit Payment Plan section, click the Print button.




4. The payment plan will open in a new browser tab and can now be printed.




5. When a payment plan is printed, it will automatically save the payment plan. A temporary message in the Billing module will indicate this information.



6. After the RP signs the printed copy of the payment plan, the payment plan must be activated. To begin this process, in the Billing module, within the applicable invoice header row, click the More Options menu.




7. In the drop-down list, click Manage Payment Plan.




8. In the Edit Payment Plan section, click the Activate without Signature button.

Note: Regardless if the RP has signed the payment plan, the Activate without Signature button will display. This is because there may be instances where the payment plan may be printed and the RP may not be able to sign the payment plan in-office, but there is a requirement to activate the payment plan immediately.




9. The Activate Without Signature dialog box will open. Read the information contained in the dialog box.



10. To continue with the process of activating the payment plan, click the Yes button.



11. A temporary message in the Billing module will indicate that the payment plan was successfully activated.



12. The payment plan is now active and the payment plan button will display in the invoice row within the Billing module. If there is an interest fee and/or charge, they will display as individual line items and will be listed as an adjustment.

Section 4 - Sending an Email to the RP Requesting a Signature for a Payment Plan 
 

1. After a payment plan has been added in the Billing module, it can be emailed to the RP. To begin this process, in the Billing module, within the applicable invoice header row, click the More Options menu.




2. In the drop-down list, click Manage Payment Plan.




3. In the Edit Payment Plan section, click the Email button.




4. An email requesting a signature for the payment plan will be sent to the RP. To view the steps required to sign the payment plan, refer to Section 5 below.

Section 5 - Understanding How the RP Signs a Payment Plan Request Received via Email 
 

1. If a signature for a payment plan is requested via email, the RP can click the link in the payment plan email to begin the process of activating the payment plan.



2. After clicking the link, a new browser tab will open. The RP must enter the patient's birthdate.



3. To continue, the RP must click the Continue button.



4. The Payment Plan window will display which includes the Summary and Disclosure sections.




5. The RP can review the payment plan details displayed in the Summary section.




6. To continue, the RP must click the Sign Payment Plan button.



7. The Payment Plan window will display which includes the Accept & Sign Payment Plan and Delivery Method sections.




8. In the Signature field, the RP must input their signature.

Note: The signature can be inputted using a mouse on a desktop computer. For mobile devices, the signature can be inputted via touch. If the RP is not satisfied with their signature, they can delete it by clicking the Clear Signature button.




9. In the Delivery Method section, the RP can select whether the signed payment plan should be emailed and/or texted to a recipient. The RP can also choose the option to not send a copy of the signed payment plan. The RP can begin the process of selecting whether a signed copy of the payment plan will be sent by clicking the Recipient drop-down menu.



10. In the Recipient drop-down list, the RP must select the recipient.

Note: The Recipient drop-down list will include the patient and the RP. If the patient is the RP, then only the patient will display in the drop-down list.



11. The selected recipient will display in the Recipient drop-down menu. The recipient's email and mobile number will display in the By Email and By Text checkbox areas, respectively.



12. If the RP prefers to receive a copy of the signed treatment plan via email and/or text message, they must click the By Email and/or By Text checkbox(es), respectively. A checkmark will display in the selected checkbox(es).

Note: If the Do Not Send option was selected in the Recipient drop-down menu, then the By Email and By Text checkboxes will be grayed out and no selection is required.




13. The RP must now click the Accept & Sign button.



14. A message will display indicating that the payment plan was accepted. The RP has now completed all the steps required to sign the treatment plan.



15. The payment plan is now active and the payment plan button will display in the invoice row within the Billing module. If there is an interest fee and/or charge, they will display as individual line items and will be listed as an adjustment.

Section 6 - Using Curve Go to Sign a Payment Plan 
 

1. Open Curve Go.

Note: For instructions outlining how to access Curve Go, refer to the quick guide, Registering and Opening the Curve Portal Application or Curve Go on a Device.


2. In Curve Go, within the Find Patient search field, enter a portion of the patient's name.

Note: As data is entered into the Find Patient search field, the search results will automatically display all patients containing the search term(s).



3. All patients matching the entered search term(s) that have an appointment on the current day will display in the Patients With Appointments Today list. All patients matching the entered search term(s) will be displayed in the All Patients section. Locate the patient, then click the patient row.



4. Click the Payment Plan tab.

Note: The number of draft payment plans for the patient will display in the Payment Plan tab.



5. In the Payment Plan tab, click the payment plan that requires a signature.



6. The details of the payment plan will display.




7. Click the Present button.



8. To continue, refer to Section 5, steps 7 to 15, above.

Section 7 - Editing a Payment Plan 
 

1. Payment plans in the Draft status and payment plans that have been activated can both be edited. Any field within a payment plan in the Draft status can be updated, whereas for activated payment plans, only the Card on file field can be edited. To begin the process of editing a payment plan, in the Billing module, within the applicable invoice header row, click the More Options menu.




2. In the drop-down list, click Manage Payment Plan.




3. The Edit Payment Plan section will display. Enter the updated information in the applicable field(s).




4. To save all changes, click the Save button.

Section 8 - Pushing a Payment When a Payment Error Occurs 
 

1. When a payment error occurs on a payment plan, the payment can be pushed through manually. To begin this process, in the applicable invoice header row, click the Payment Plan icon.

Section 9 - Pausing a Payment Plan 
 

1. An activated payment plan can be paused if required. To begin this process, in the applicable invoice header row, click the Payment Plan icon.



2. In the Edit Payment Plan section, click the Pause Plan button.




3. In the Pause Payment Plan dialog box, within the Resume Date field, enter the date that the payment plan will resume on.



4. Click the Save button to immediately pause the payment plan.



5. The Billing module will display and the Payment Plan icon will now show as paused.

Section 10 - Resuming a Paused Payment Plan 
 

1. A paused payment plan can be manually resumed prior to the automatic resume date that was entered in the Pause Payment Plan dialog box (refer to Section9 above for more information). To begin this process, in the applicable invoice header row, click the Payment Plan icon.



2. In the Edit Payment Plan section, click the Resume Plan button.

Note: The date that the payment plan was previously set to resume on can be viewed in this section.




3. The Resume Payment Plan dialog box will open. Review the message included in the dialog box.



4. Click the Save button to immediately resume the payment plan.



5. The Billing module will display and the Payment Plan icon will now show as active.

Section 11 - Canceling a Payment Plan 
 

1. In certain cases, a patient may want to pay off the entirety of their outstanding balance while they are on an active payment plan. It may also occur such that immediately after a payment plan is created, the patient may decide that they would prefer not to go on a payment plan. In both of these cases (i.e., payment plans that are in the Draft status and payment plans that have been activated), the payment plan can be canceled. It is important to note that a payment plan that contains an error can also be canceled. To begin the process of canceling a payment plan, in the Billing module, within the applicable invoice header row, click the More Options menu.

Note: An invoice cannot be voided if there is an active payment plan associated with the invoice. To void the invoice, first cancel the payment plan, then void the invoice.




2. In the drop-down list, click Manage Payment Plan.




3. In the Edit Payment Plan section, click the Cancel Plan button.




4. The Cancel Payment Plan dialog box will display. A cancellation reason must be selected before the payment plan can be cancelled. To begin this process, click the Cancellation Reason drop-down menu.



5. In the drop-down list, click the cancellation reason.



6. To immediately cancel the payment plan, click the Yes button.



7. The payment plan is now cancelled and the payment plan icon will no longer display in the invoice header row. If there was an outstanding balance on the payment plan, it will be moved to the patient portion.

Section 12 - Viewing the History of a Payment Plan 
 

The history of a payment plan can be viewed in either the Billing module or within the Edit Payment Plan section. Refer to Section 12A and Section 12B below for instructions regarding how to view this information in either area.

Section 12A - Viewing the History of a Payment Plan in the Billing Module 
 

1. In the Billing module, within the applicable invoice header row, click the More Options menu.




2. In the drop-down list, hover the cursor over Payment Plan history, then within the adjacent drop-down list, click the applicable history option.




3. The Payment Plan history dialog box will open and the details of the payment plan history will display.




4. To exit the Payment Plan history dialog box, click the Close button.

Section 12B - Viewing the History of a Payment Plan in the Edit Payment Plan Section 
 

1. In the Billing module, within the applicable invoice header row, click the More Options menu.




2. In the drop-down list, click Manage Payment Plan.




3. In the Edit Payment Plan section, click the History button.




4. The Payment Plan history dialog box will open and the details of the payment plan history will display.




5. To exit the Payment Plan history dialog box, click the Close button.

Section 13 - Reviewing the Activity of a Payment Plan in the Correspondence Module 
 

1. The activity of a payment plan can be viewed in the Correspondence module. To do this, in the Sidekick, click Correspondence.



2. The Correspondence module will display and contains the activity of the payment plan.

Related Quick Guides 
 

• Creating, Editing, Archiving, Unarchiving, and Deleting a Payment Plan Disclosure


• Editing the Payment Plan Settings